


Ten Things I Hate About You

by lunaofthemiste



Category: Battle for London in the Air (Roleplay)
Genre: Beck sucks, Gen, I thought this would be shorter than it ended up, Immortal Illuminati AU, Rebecca earns her swear words, not at all based on the film, the title fits though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:42:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25197136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunaofthemiste/pseuds/lunaofthemiste
Summary: “I never invited you in,” Rebecca frowned, realizing it was her mistake for opening the door too wide.
Kudos: 4





	Ten Things I Hate About You

Rebecca generally did not expect visitors to her flat, least of all one Thaddeus Beck.

She had heard the knock and opened the door, immediately wishing she had a peephole so she could avoid this interaction altogether. Rebecca knew about Beck’s antics and had seen the betting pool for his death in person, so she had no desire to get involved. Before she could say anything, he walked past her, letting himself into the apartment.

“Thank you for inviting me into your lovely home, I understand it was such a short notice but I truly thank you for accommodating me, Rebecca,” Beck spoke as he dropped his suitcases on the ground, dramatically took off his coat, and immediately sat on the couch.

“I never invited you in,” Rebecca frowned, realizing it was her mistake for opening the door too wide, “and it’s Elizabeth, thank you very much. What are you doing here?” She asked, closing and locking the front door.

“You never received the communication?” Beck asked innocently, though Rebecca immediately felt suspicious.

“No.”

“Well, it seems as though they’ve transferred me to keep an eye out for you. It’s such a shame that a pretty young thing like yourself has to be alone at a time like this.” Beck continued, and Rebecca looked him over. He brought in two large suitcases and another travel bag, which he was currently unpacking in her living room. His clothes were another issue, completely wrong for the time period - Rebecca figured her grandfather would have enjoyed something like that in his youth. “I assume it will be fairly easy to adapt to this tiny little flat and to integrate myself into your cover. We could say that you were head over heels for me and couldn’t wait to tie the knot.” He mused, though Rebecca was entirely unimpressed.

“ _Elizabeth’s_ husband died in the war, and she is certainly not getting remarried anytime soon.” Rebecca corrected him. “I never received any sort of communication about this transfer, and it makes absolutely no sense. I have been here for over four years, I can certainly handle myself. Why bring in someone that could absolutely ruin what I have been working for?”

Beck looked offended as he placed two large bottles of gin on her coffee table, followed by two bottles of wine. “I’ve been around for years, I know the art of being discreet. My intentions were never to ruin another’s current operation; I only aim to assist in the valiant effort to defeat EVIL. Besides,” he smiled to himself, “perhaps Elizabeth could grow to love another?” He suggested, getting up to explore the flat.

If Rebecca hadn’t been instilled with the way to act like a proper lady ever since she could talk, she would have had different words for Beck. “I don’t think any romance is necessary for my cover. As for this...transfer, I expect you to stay out of my way, as to not jeopardize all the work I have done. If someone asks about you, I will simply say that you’re my-”

“Soulmate?”

“-cousin.” Rebecca finished, crossing her arms. “I hope to receive some communication from the agency in the coming days about this transfer.” She stated, getting an idea. “Or I suppose I could call Irving, see if he knows why I was not contacted.”

“Please don’t call Irving.” Beck sighed, standing in the doorway of her bedroom. 

“Why not?”

“Because it’ll only upset him. And me, I just might faint.” Beck said dramatically, feigning fainting against the frame of her bedroom doorway.

Rebecca sighed, giving in despite the feeling she had not to. “Alright, fine, I won’t call Irving-”

“Thank you-”

“-today. Please stop interrupting me, it’s terribly rude.” Rebecca frowned. “I will only call him if I do not hear any news about this transfer.”

Beck sighed loudly. “I suppose that’s only fair,” he admitted, turning to the interior of her bedroom. “Oh look! There appears to be only one bed.”

“There is,” Rebecca agreed. “So I suppose you will be sleeping on the couch.”

“But?”

“No.”

* * *

Rebecca counted herself lucky that Beck showed up on a Saturday, so she was able to keep an eye on him the next day before heading back to work. She knew that he was probably too idiotic to do any real harm, but the lack of communication from the agency was suspicious, on top of his reluctance to contact Irving. Plus, she didn’t want him to go through her belongings in the apartment while she was gone.

When she exited her locked bedroom the next morning, she was surprised to see that Beck had made himself very much at home in her living room. Papers were scattered everywhere, and there appeared to be some sort of yarn connecting a few of them. Beck himself appeared to be sleeping on the couch, and Rebecca noted that one of the gin bottles had lost a fair amount of its liquor.

After she put the kettle on, she walked over to the piles of papers on the ground, bending down to examine them. Most of them appeared to be, surprisingly, IIA communications and files. A few were excerpts of poetry written in what Rebecca assumed was Beck’s own hand, but she paid no mind to those. The files, however, were troubling. Most of them weren’t supposed to be outside of the main office, and it would be truly catastrophic if they found their way into the wrong hands. 

“Wha-what are you doing?” Beck snapped at her groggily as he jumped up, seemingly awoken by the shuffling of papers.

“Why do you have these documents?” Rebecca snapped back, careful to keep her voice down. “This is confidential information!”

“I had these from my post in St. Moritz, I was looking over them before I drop them off at the main office in a few days,” Beck explained, and Rebecca could immediately tell he was lying. “I’m conducting research.”

“Research on the highly confidential list of agents and aliases?” Rebecca asked, scanning the list herself. “This is highly classified, _Harold_ , can you imagine what would happen if EVIL got this?”

“I am preventing an infiltration of our great organization by stopping a double agent, for your information. I have found the infiltrator who has slithered within our ranks, who likely plans to betray us at any moment.” Beck snatched the list out of Rebecca’s hands. “In order to confront him, I need to find out where he is.”

“You think there’s a double agent? That is certainly a very serious accusation, and it still does not justify the classified documents in my flat.” Rebecca stood up and headed to the kitchenette, pouring herself some tea. 

“It’s Anil.” Beck continued, even though Rebecca didn’t ask. “He’s been conspiring against all of us for years.”

“Dr. Jhandir?” Rebecca asked, frowning. She hadn’t interacted with the doctor much since they were both usually out on separate assignments. However, she had heard the rumors about his higher-than-normal kill rate and Oscar insisted that the doctor disliked him for seemingly no reason. Still, it didn’t add up to a motive for betraying the organization that made you immortal. “Why would he want to betray us?”

“He’s obviously evil, much like the namesake of his true loyalties.” Beck reasoned. “Think about the number of people he’s killed.”

“A doctor during that time likely had several casualties,” Rebecca reasoned. “It’s how I lost my grandfather. They knew less about the body during that time, and medicine has certainly improved.”

“I’m not talking about bloody surgeries, Rebecca-”

“ _Elizabeth_.”

“I’m talking about grizzly murders carried out in cold blood. A man like that has no conscience.” Beck insisted while Rebecca took a sip of her tea.

“Being more inclined to murder isn’t proof of an infiltration,” Rebecca sighed, growing more annoyed the longer he talked. “Now, I am not going to engage in any more baseless theories and instead will attempt to enjoy my day off. Please try to keep the mess contained.” She advised before heading back to her bedroom, locking the door behind her.

* * *

The rest of Sunday was uneventful, with Rebecca keeping to her bedroom most of the day to avoid Beck. She would have kicked him out if he didn’t have a treasure trove of highly classified documents in his keep, ones that he didn’t seem too concerned about keeping secret. None of it sat right with her, and she knew he was lying about how he got the documents. Her best hope for answers was a formal inquiry, which could take several days.

As she left for work Monday morning, she saw Beck once again sprawled out on her sofa and the papers no less scattered than they had been the day before. She hoped he would tidy up before she got back, but wasn’t very hopeful.

Hours later, Rebecca headed back to the flat, a bag of groceries held against her chest. As she approached her door, she noticed one of her neighbors, Mrs. Robinson, wave her over.

“Elizabeth, I saw a man stop by your flat on Saturday,” Mrs. Robinson gushed, ever the gossip. “Are you seeing someone?”

Rebecca shook her head. “I’m afraid it’s just my cousin. He’s staying with me for a few days.”

“Oh, good!” Mrs. Robinson smiled, then corrected herself. “I mean it’s good that you’re not seeing him. I was going to drop a pie off earlier and he answered and asked me where you were today. He wasn’t very talkative, and he…” She trailed off, blushing heavily. “Something about him...well, he isn’t right for you, dear.”

Rebecca blushed as well, embarrassed. “I am so sorry about the way he acted. He’s rather...eccentric. We don’t talk often.” 

“Now, my sister Evelyn’s godson’s brother is a doctor. That’s a man perfect for a bright girl like you!” Mrs. Robinson continued, talking over Rebecca.

Rebecca smiled politely. “I appreciate the effort, Mrs. Robinson, but I don’t think I’m ready for that yet. It’s only been a few years since William’s passing.”

“Oh, I know, but I feel bad that such a sweet girl like yourself is all alone. You’re a model gold-star wife.” Mrs. Robinson shrugged.

“CHERYL!” A door opened down the hall and a man, Mr. Robinson, popped his head out to yell. “YOUR CASSEROLE!”

“I’M COMING HAROLD!” Mrs. Robinson yelled back, then turned to Rebecca. “I’ll drop that pie off tomorrow, dear. Don’t be a stranger!” She said cheerfully as she headed back to her flat.

Rebecca waved before turning to open the door to her flat, closing it quickly behind her. She was not prepared to see Beck sitting on the ground surrounded by documents, a bottle of wine in one hand and a very old-fashioned gun in the other.

“Dear god,” she said, taking in the situation as she set her purse down and took off her winter coat. “What on earth are you doing?”

“I’m going to kill him,” Beck spoke quietly. “He’s taken everything from me.”

“What?!” Rebecca exclaimed. “No, no, you are not going to kill anybody, and you are certainly not going to plan it here.” She snapped, putting her grocery bag on her kitchen counter and pulling out the cold food and shoving them in the fridge.

“He deserves it, for all of his villainy,” Beck answered, taking another swig of the wine bottle.

Rebecca gave him a look. “Is this about the doctor?” She sighed. “As I said, there is no concrete evidence of him working for EVIL.”

“This is more than just his treacherous ways, he’s stolen the attention of my father as well. They’re well-fitted for each other, I suppose, both drawn to the presumptive dark side.” Beck rambled, as Rebecca walked over to him, kneeling down to be at his level.

“Isn’t your father deceased?” She asked, confused. As far as she knew, Beck was recruited shortly after Oscar, and his father would have to be dead. 

Beck scoffed. “I thought he was, but alas, he is not. Imagine my shock when I discovered that my father is very much alive and chooses to spend his time with some degenerate rather than his own son. The correspondences between them are here, and abundant.”

Rebecca looked at the documents, her frown deepening. “This correspondence is, once again, highly confidential and is written in code. Did you decode all of these?” She asked. Beck didn’t answer, and Rebecca continued to look. Most of the papers were simple mission reports and small analysis, all written in one of the codes the IIA preferred. A majority of the reports were from Dr. Jhandir addressed to Dr. Massey. “Dr. Massey is your father?” She asked. “Are you sure?”

“I’m completely certain, and that is why I must stop the seed of evil that grows within our ranks before it spreads like wildfire and grows into an astronomical problem,” Beck said vehemently.

“By killing someone?” Rebecca shook her head. “I understand how you’re feeling but murder is not the solution. If Dr. Jhandir truly is a double agent, wouldn’t it be wiser to arrest him and learn the secrets of our foe? Surely you’ve heard of the phrase ‘know thy enemy’.” She placed a hand on top of Beck’s hand, which was still holding the gun tightly. “No one needs to die.”

Beck rolled his eyes. “Oh, Rebecca, you’re terribly naive. You’re too young to have experienced the challenges I’ve faced and to see that this man isn’t worth it.”

“I’m seventy-nine,” Rebecca said flatly, Beck’s comments striking a nerve within her. “I’m not going to argue anymore with a drunkard. Hand over the gun, and we will discuss this when you are at least somewhat sober.”

“I’ll give you the gun…” Beck grinned, “if you’ll have a drink with me.”

“I have work tomorrow.”

“Then no gun.”

Rebecca sighed. “One drink, that’s it.” She said reluctantly, hoping that Beck, who seemed to be very drunk, would forget about the deal before she was halfway done with a glass.

Beck placed the bottle of wine he’d been holding down and turned over the gun to Rebecca. She held the gun gingerly between her finger and her thumb and stood up, careful not to drop it. Beck stood up as well, ignoring the documents displaced by his movement. “I’ll grab you a glass. I doubt a lady like yourself would drink out of the bottle.”

Rebecca nodded, ignoring the slight and frowning at the gun. “Haven’t you ever cleaned this? It’s positively filthy.” Beck gave no response and Rebecca went to hide the gun, choosing the back of the cabinet under her sink. When she returned to the living room, Beck was elegantly pouring wine into a wine glass that he had pulled from the back of her kitchen cupboard. He held it out to her, and she took it warily.

“Aren’t you going to drink it?” Beck asked, taking another swig from the bottle.

She was going to drink the wine but had always been wary of drinks poured to her by others. When she still lived in the Tyler manor, all those years ago, her sister-in-law Octavia had once threatened her with poison in her tea. Of course, she hadn’t believed her at the time, but the thought was always in the back of her mind, especially since she learned that Octavia had unsuccessfully tried to off her mother using the same technique years after her own ‘death’. She took a small sip, raising an eyebrow. “Happy?” 

“Very much so,” he said making his way back to the couch, stepping over piles of papers. Rebecca followed, making sure she sat as far away from Beck as the couch could manage, which still wasn’t very far. “‘If thou regret'st thy Youth, _why live_? The land of honourable Death is here; up to the Field, and give Away thy breath!’” He quoted, staring out the window into the night.

“That’s a verse by Lord Byron, correct?” Rebecca guessed. It sounded like poetry and Beck seemed like the type who would be into his melodramatic style.

Beck nodded. “It is. It’s fitting for tonight, I believe.” He offered no further explanation.

They sat in silence for a bit. Rebecca swirled the wine in the glass around, mulling over her own thoughts. She was incredibly frustrated and annoyed, but couldn’t help thinking about the situation before her. After a while, she spoke. “You do know that traveling to a man’s house to murder him in broad daylight could likely get you killed, right?”

Beck raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you cared.”

“There’s not enough evidence, it’s not worth throwing away your life for something so petty.” Rebecca sighed, looking down at the wine.

“Every hero must make noble sacrifices,” Beck said, and Rebecca could feel that he was closer to her than before. “I daresay my risk will be worth it to avenge the time I’ve lost.”

Rebecca turned her head to him, and was going to ask him what the hell he was thinking when he leaned in and kissed her. His lips were on hers for mere seconds before she pulled back quickly, standing up to put more distance between her and Beck. “You...you fiend!” She snapped, struggling to find the right words. 

Beck seemed genuinely confused and caught himself from falling forward. “Darling, I-”

“Stop it,” Rebecca said sternly. “I am not your darling. I barely know you. You showed up here without notice-”

“The agency was-”

“We both know you lied about that!” Rebecca snapped. “I don’t know what you’re planning but I will certainly not get involved and I am certainly not some dalliance here to satisfy your ‘manly’ needs.” She was absolutely seething but resisted the urge to throw the wine in his face. The stains would never come out.

Beck stared at her, mouth open, speechless for once in his life. Rebecca headed to the kitchen, dumping the wine down the drain before heading to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

Rebecca jolted awake when she heard another door slam. She had gone to bed angry but had no intention of apologizing to Beck while he was out of his mind. The only way she had been able to calm down was by writing down a plan for what she would do with him. She was going to call the agency in the morning, and hopefully they would send someone to retrieve Beck and all of his confidential documents.

However, when the door slammed, a thought went through Rebecca’s head. What if Beck had left? Scowling, she got out of bed and threw on her robe, opening her door to find a proper mess in her small hallway. 

“Bastard…” She said under her breath, which she realized was actually true if Beck was to be believed about his parentage.

She could see from her position that Beck was gone from his spot on the sofa, but he left both of his suitcases and the disorganized documents behind. The bathroom cabinet had been completely gutted and Beck had left its contents askew in the hallway. She was confused for a minute until she remembered that was where she hid the gun. Carefully, she stepped over the mess to the kitchen and found a piece of parchment left on her counter. The handwriting was messy, but it was from Beck, telling her that he would be back soon and to not go through his belongings or tell the agency where he had gone.

On top of that, her clock chimed, indicating that it was four o’clock in the morning.

“Perfect,” Rebecca scowled, turning the lights on and making her way to the documents. She needed to find where Beck was headed in order to let the agency find him. It wasn’t hard to figure out, he had been obsessed with his target for days. As soon as she found the location - Mumbai - she headed to her phone, only to realize the cord had been sliced. Apparently Beck had known that she would call to report him as soon as she found out he left. 

She leaned against the wall, sighing as she looked around. “What a fucking mess,” she said quietly to herself.

After a few long minutes of contemplation, Rebecca started to clean up the apartment. There was no point in going back to sleep now, especially since her anger would likely keep her awake. She put away the mess from the bathroom, plotting in her head her next actions. At this point, any warning to the agency might fall on dear ears. There was no way to know when Beck would reach India, but she hoped that there would be a delay to allow other agents to stop him.

Once she was done with the bathroom, she started going through the documents and organizing them. Most of them fit into one of the suitcases, while the other one, as Rebecca discovered, was filled with outdated clothing, several journals full of bad poetry (and one lock of hair), and a tiny taxidermy mouse that nearly gave Rebecca a heart attack. She was lucky that the documents were tame, but by reading them she wondered if there were more secrets within the organization than she realized.

She needed to ask Tristan and Oscar what they knew about Dr. Massey.

**Author's Note:**

> Some notes, woo!:  
> \- The story starts on 1/24/1948.  
> \- I assume most of the correspondences are written in LITA code (aka Dr. Oak stuff).  
> \- Beck 100% hit on Mrs. Robinson  
> \- ‘Elizabeth’s’ deceased husband ‘William’ is Tristan. IIA has a photo studio, they took fake wedding pictures. Rebecca has a locket with his picture for the cover. (They aren't dating yet, but the feelings are there.)  
> \- Mr. and Mrs. Robinson are inspired by “Get the bug Walter” “I’m trying Helen!”  
> \- In LITA canon, Rebecca’s sister-in-law Octavia passes away after trying to poison Rebecca’s mother during tea. Octavia poisoned one cup, Rebecca’s mother noticed and switched them.  
> \- The poem Beck quotes is "January 22nd, Missolonghi", one of the last poems Lord Byron wrote before he died. FoReShAdOwInG  
> \- Rebecca is very frustrated by how so many people think she’s naive and too young (or too womanly) to understand things.  
> \- She rightfully earned her f-bomb.  
> \- Massey foreshadowing?? Idk if he's been found out as a traitor yet but I'm pretty sure there are other EVIL moles in the IIA that he worked with.  
> \- Rebecca returns the trunks and documents and explains what happened to the administration. Her testimony probably inadvertently helps Dr. J look less guilty?  
> \- The ten things Rebecca hates about Beck (I only did this because of the title): 1) he let himself into her apartment 2) he lied to her face 3) he made a mess in her living room 4) he stole confidential documents 5) he hit on her married neighbor 6) he called Rebecca naive 7) he hit on Rebecca 8) he trashed her apartment looking for the gun 9) he cut her phone lines 10) he had a taxidermy mouse in his suitcase.
> 
> Anyways, hope you all enjoyed it!


End file.
